Article supporting apparatus



av. 39, 1946. A. D. SWENSEN ET AL 2,411,174

ARTICLE SUPPORTING APPARATUS Filed July 9, 1945 Patented Nov. 19, 1946ARTICLE SUPPORTING APPARATUS Albert D. Swensen, Washington, D. 0., andRobert D. Williams, J L, United States Navy Application July 9, 1945,Serial No. 604,000

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370G. 757) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to article supporting apparatus, and moreparticularly to an apparatus whereby an article may be supported andimmersed in a treating bath, and rotated while immersed.

In certain processes, and particularly in certain chemical processes itmay be necessary that in combining a plurality of chemical compounds orelements the reagent vessel be immersed in a bath having a temperatureor other characteristic such that it is desirable to avoid the necessityof the operator coming into contact with the bath.

It may also be necessary that the vessel be agitated, as by rotation, toobtain effective mixing of the reagents in the vessel.

An object of this invention is to provide an effective and efiicientarticle supporting apparatus and particularly an article supportingapparatus whereby an article, such as a reagent vessel, may be supportedand immersed in a bath, and rotated while so immersed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient andeffective apparatus whereby a reagent vessel may be immersed in a bathand rotated in the bath without the necessity of an operator coming intocontact with the bath.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention a rigidly supportedoverhead beam is provided on which two spaced, parallel, channel barsare mounted, the lower ends of which may extend into a suitable bath. Aframe is slidably supported by the channel bars so as to be verticallymovable between the bars and carries on its upper portion a motor whichis drivably connected to a shaft rotatably supported on the frame belowthe motor. Means are provided on the shaft for supporting an article tobe rotated. In operation the article is mounted on the shaft while theframe is in an elevated position, the frame is then slid downwardly toimmerse the article in the bath and the motor turned on to cause theshaft to rotate the article in the bath. After the required period ofimmersion, the motor is turned off and the frame is slid upwardly toremove the article from the bath.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with thesingle figure wherein is shown a perspective view of an articlesupporting apparatus constructed in accordance with one embodiment ofthis invention and having its lower portion disposed in a tank. Aportion of the front of the tank is broken away for purposes ofillustration.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that this apparatusincludes a pair of spaced, parallel, supporting standards I, which aresubstantially vertically disposed and the lower ends of which may berigidly mounted on a suitable base 2 by associated pedestal numbers 3. Acrossbeam 4 is supported between the upper ends of the standards I andis made of a length sufficient so that the lower ends of the twostandards I may be, respectively, located outside a tank 5,

and substantially on opposite sides thereof, as shown in. the drawing.The standards I are sufficiently long so that the beam 4 is mountedsubstantially above the tank. For purposes of illustration, the tank 5has been shown of rectangular cross section; however, it will beunderstood that this shape is merely illustrative and that anyconvenient shape may be substituted therefor. The purpose of the tank 5is to provide a container for a treating bath.

The supporting structure described provides a rigid support for asubstantially vertically dis posed rectangular frame comprising a pairof spaced, parallel, channel bars 6, an upper cross bar 1' and a lowercross bar 8, the upper cross bar 1 being suitably secured to the underside of the cross beam 4, The lower ends of the channel bars 6 extenddownwardly into the tank 5 and, as shown in the drawing, may extendsubstantially to the base thereof, thus positioning the lower cross bar8 of the channel bar frame along the upper surface of the base of thetank. Grooves Ill are formed in the inner sides of the channel bars 6and extend the length thereof to receive, respectively, opposite sidemembers ll of a second rectangular frame which is movable relativelythereto and comprises the spaced, parallel, side members I I and upperand lower cross members [2. The outer edges of the members H extend intoand frictionally engage the sides of the grooves [0, the tightness offit being such that while the frame may be slid relatively to thechannel bars 6, it will remain in the position to which it is soadjusted by reason of the frictional engagement. Where, however, apositive lock is required, a set screw I9 may be mounted on one of thechannel bars 6 and be adjustable to bear against a side member ll of theslidable frame and thereby to lock it in any desired position.Alternatively, a suitable detent mechanism, not shown, may be employed.By employing a locking mechanism the necessity of making the slidableframe frictionally engage the sides of the grooves 10 to retain theframe in position is avoided. The sides of the grooves l0 serve also asguides for the second frame so that the frame may be moved in the planeof the channel bars 6.

A rotatable shaft l3 has its ends suitably journalled in the inner sidesof th side members H and is providedadjacent one end with a pulley it,which i suitably keyed to the, shaft. In order to rotate-the shaft 3, amotor 15 is mounted on the upper side of the upper cross member t2 andhas a pulley it keyed to the drive shaft ll thereof. A belt l8 drivablyconnects the upper pulley 16 with the shaft pulley I4. It will be.understood that while th driving connection be: tween the motor I andtheshaft I3 hasbeen described as a belt and pulley combination,

where a positive drive is required, it wouldinvolve no departure fromthe present invention to substitute for the pulleys I l and I6, sprocketwheels, and for the belt l8 a suitable sprocket chain. A number ofspring clips 20 are mounted on the shaft [3 to receive and engage anarticle to be rotatably supported by this apparatus.

-In using the present apparatus, the articles to be, supported by theapparatus, which may be reagent vessels, are mounted on the shaft l3 bythe clips 26 while the slidable frame is in its upper position. Theframe is then slid downwardly a suitable distance to immerse the articlein a bath which may be provided in the tank 5 and the motor E5 isactuated to cause the article to be rotated. It will be understood thatrotation need not be continuous in one direction but maybe oscillatoryto increase the turbulence in the vessel. After the required period ofimmersion, and agitation, the motor is stopped, the

slidable frame is slid upwardly and the article is removed.

While but one embodiment of this invention has been shown and describedit will be understood that many changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the spiritv or scope of the presentinvention.

The invention shown and described herein may be manufactured or used byor for the Government of the United States of America for governmentalpurposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What i claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for immersing an article in a tank and for rotatingthe article while positioned in the tank, a tank, a pair of spacedstandards, a cross beam mounted between the upper ends of saidstandards, a base for supporting the lower ends of said standards, apair of spaced channel bars mounted on the under side of said cross beamand extending into said tank, a frame slidably supported between channelbars and movable therealong into or out of said tank, a rotatable shaft'ournalled in th sides of said frame and immersible in said tank whensaid frame is moved. toits lower, position -means mounted onsaidslidable frame for rotating said shaft, and means on said shaft forengaging and supporting an article.

In an apparatus for immersing an article in a' tank and "for rotatingthe article While positioned. in the tank, a tank, a pair of spacedstandards; a cross beam mounted between the upper ends of saidstandards, the lower ends of said standards being mounted adjacent thesides ofsaid tank, a pair of spaced channel bars mounted on theunderside of said cross beam, the lower ends of said channel barsextending into said tank,.a frame slidably mounted between said channelbars and movable therealong into or out of said tank, a rotatable shaftjournalled in the sides of said frame and immersible in said tank whensaid frame is moved to its lower position, means mounted on said framefor rotatingsaid shaft, and means on said shaft for engaging andsupporting an article.

3. In an apparatus for immersing an article. in a tank and'forrotatingthe article while immersed in the tank, a cross beammounted above thetank, a pair of spaced channel bars extending downwardly from said crossbeam into said tank, a frame mounted between said channel bars andslidable relatively thereto, a rotatable shaft mounted between the sidesof said frame and adjacent the lower end thereof, means mountedon saidframefor rotating said shaft, and means associated with said shaft forsupporting an article.

4. In an apparatus for immersing anarticle in a tank and for rotatingthe article while im-- mersed in the tank, a cross beam mounted abovethe tank, a pair of spaced channel; bars extending downwardly from saidcross beam into said. tank, a frame mounted betweensaid channel bars andslidable relatively thereto, a rotatable shaft mounted between the sidesof said frame and adjacent the lower end thereof, means mounted.

on said frame for rotating said shaft, means associated with said shaftfor supporting an article, and means associated with said channel barsfor locking said slidable frame in position thereon. 1

ALBERT D. SWENSEN. ROBERT D. WILLIAMS, JR.

